A ground out is a method of putting out a batter in

baseball Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each, taking turns batting and fielding. The game occurs over the course of several plays, with each play generally beginning when a player on the fielding tea ...

. In such a play, a defensive player catches a batted ball hit on the ground by the batter and throws the ball to a defensive player at

first base A first baseman, abbreviated 1B, is the player on a baseball or softball team who fields the area nearest first base, the first of four bases a baserunner must touch in succession to score a run. The first baseman is responsible for the majori ...

before the batter can successfully reach the base, or records an out elsewhere via a

fielder's choice In baseball, fielder's choice (abbreviated FC) refers to a variety of plays involving an offensive player reaching a base due to the defense's attempt to put out another baserunner, or the defensive team's indifference to his advance. Fielder's cho ...

Method

A batter is grounded out when a ball hits the ground immediately after being batted, commonly an

infielder An infielder is a baseball player stationed at one of four defensive "infield" positions on the baseball field. Standard arrangement of positions In a game of baseball, two teams of nine players take turns playing offensive and defensive roles. ...

catches the ball and then throws it to a defensive player at

to complete the out. The out is completed when the player at first base either catches the ball while touching first base or tags the batter, in both cases, before the batter successfully reaches the base.

Double play

If the defensive players put out one baserunner during the same play in which a batter grounds out, the defensive team records a "double play". There are other means of recording a double play that do not entail a ground out.

Triple play

If the defensive players put out two baserunners during the same play in which a batter grounds out, the defensive team records a "triple play", the maximum possible outs that can be recorded on a single play. There are other means of recording a triple play that do not entail a ground out.

References

{{Reflist Baseball terminology